The latest NASA initiative for Human Space, namely the Space Exploration Vision, continues to require avionics systems that are deterministic and that provide redundant data to flight computers capable of resolving the byzantine fault condition. Many of these systems use heritage sensors and effectors that are controlled by 1553B data busses. In order to implement redundancy, commands to acquire data and receive telemetry need to be synchronized between the redundant channels. These methods of synchronization rely on the flight computer to generate the commands.
It is desirable to provide improved methods and systems for synchronizing the data along redundant channels without using the flight computer in order to off load the flight computer, thus allowing it to perform other important tasks. It is further desirable to provide improved synchronization methods and systems for mobile platforms such as spacecraft and aircrafts. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.